Mesoporous carbon materials have found an increasing number of utilities, e.g., in gas separation, water purification (i.e., nanofiltration), catalysis, carbon dioxide adsorption, capacitive deionization (CDI), energy storage and conversion, and as advanced electrode materials, such as capacitive, supercapacitive, and battery electrode (e.g., lithium-ion) materials. Nevertheless, a key obstacle in directing the mesoporous carbon compositions to these and other applications is the known difficulty in modifying the surfaces of these materials with any of a wide variety of functional groups that could make the mesoporous carbon materials better suited for the intended purpose.
In an effort to further advance mesoporous carbon materials in such practical applications, there would be a substantial benefit in a method capable of functionalizing mesoporous carbon materials with any of a variety of functional groups. The method would preferably be cost effective and scalable for bulk production. Moreover, the method would preferably be effective in functionalizing the interior of the mesopores, since the bulk of the activity and reactivity of mesoporous carbon compositions are found in the mesopores. The latter requirement is non-trivial, as traditional polymer grafting techniques do not provide the mass transport necessary for functionalizing such miniaturized spaces.